Flying-machine landing light



Jan. 3, 1928.

P. VAN B. VAN VLOTEN ET AL FLYING MACHINE LANDING LIGHT med sept. 2a. 192s s sheets-sheet 1 Domi/Z0* Jan. 3, 1928.

1,654,621 P. VAN B. VAN vLo'rEN ET Al.

FLYING MACHINE LANDING LIGHT Filed sept. ze. 192s s sheets-sheet 2 l ,In/@775% Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,621

- P. VAN B. VAN vLoTl-:N E1' A1.

FLYING MACHINE LANDING LIGHT Filed Sept. 28. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented dan@ 3, 192g@ PIETER VAN BREAK VAN VLOTEN, OF THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS, AND EMIL KLEBEEL" reseau PATENT orifice] DF BERLN-KARLSHORST, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS TO NAAMLOGZE VENNOOTSCHAP MCHTNERIEEN EN APPARATEN FABRIEKEN, OF UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS.

FLYING-MACHINE LANDING LIGHT.

Application led September 28, 1923, Serial No. 665,436, and in Germany January 23,1923.

rthe invention relates to installations for illuminating and indicating the landing places in aerodromes, wherein one or .more

stationary lamps are used.

'l'lie object of the invention is to provide illumination for such landing-places which will not trouble the pilots of aeroplanes with .shadows or dazzling effects when descending"v andP landing, and to fulfill other practical requirements.'

. Hitherto `the illumination and indication of the proper landing-places in aerodroiiies has been carried out by meansof special lamps or by searchliglits which in the forni now in use have not proved eiective owing either to shadows or to upwardly directed rays of light which blind the pilot during .l the' descent, and make it 4dicult for him properly to judge his landing. d

yllhe.iuoveiition aims at avoiding these `disadvantages and obtaining suchya distribug ytion of light, that vthe landing-#place is fclearly illuminatedand yindicated without eov ` causing vthe shadows or` blinding rays so troublesome to tthe pilot in descent:

A construction aecordingtothe invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which l Figure l is a vertical sectionof 'alamp according to' the invention.--

Figure 2 is a horiz'orusal section corref spending to Figure ij, and

Figures 3 and 4 are views in'eleva'tion and plan respectively of an installation usingl four lamps. i

Figure 5 is a diagram partly in section vof .a lforni of the apparatus provided with elec'- troiiiagnetic operatingmechanism. Figure 6 is a detail horizontal sectional view of the same.

ln Figure' l the stationary source O-light A c is arranged somewhat above the focal axi 4oi the lens l). j

The lightY projected on to the lens in thel angle a isfocused into a slightly dispersing r cone of rays and by reason of the position or the light above the focal axis of the lens, the cone of rays is projected in a downward direction 'for illuminating the landingpla'ce.`

'lhevcone of rays y projected upwardly above the angle a serves to indicate to the pilot the situation of the aerodrome. rilhiex cone or rays is projected as S, flash light either. white `or coloured to distinguish it from other lighter Further, between the two cones and ,y a dark region 8 is left wherein the pilot may accustom himself to the illumination of the landing-place.

rlhe upwardly projected cone of rays may also be reduced by the aid of optical means such as lenses, or reflectors, whereby the dark region becomes greater, and the intensity ofthe light of the cone increases.

For projecting the upwardly directed cone of rays as a flash light, a special shut-ter device .is yprovided an example of which is shown in Figures 'l 4and 2.

Thisy device consists oftwo movable curvilinear shutters c and c1 which in a manner similar to the wings 'of a butterfly when at rest can close together to an upper position in which the light may be projected through the openingsthus formed, whereas when thc shutters are returned, -lthe upward projectionof light is totally 'shut ofi'. The moveinento these shutters may for example be performed by a lever system al d, andV rods e el. This lever system is reciprocated by a double armed lever f, g, the arm g being actuated by a cam wheel b'having cams It. This wheel maybe driven by any suitable means for example by clockwork.

In using av number of lamps in positions around the landing-place, it is advantageous "to have all the lamps flashing upwardly in vided with an interrupter It.

The lights and .the means associated therewitliare arranged to cause upwardly directed rays tobedirected from a centralpoint.

For' this purpose thereis provided, as shown lin Fig. 5, a Search light lens 1 consisting of dioptrical ring elements so disposed inthe lainp that itsfocus lies in the strongest light zone of the source of light. The raysof the source of light striking the ill) Figures 5 and 6, the lever icol l rcliector are collected and refiected in cone stantaneous flash illumination is produced which-,is directed upwardly, and it is essential that between these two bundles of rays thereis presented a dark zone.

In Figs. 3 and 4: the elect of the described distribution of light is illustrated by reference tothe use of a plurality of lanterns, namely four of thein in elevation as well as plan view.

" The 'outerrays Atcorresponding to the cone,

" strike the grouiid'in arcs z' and lo. In this inanner an arca'isdeterinined (shown in the drawing by hatching) which 4is illuminated and practically devoid of shadows.. The pilot arriving at the aerodrolne first passes into the cone of rays of theflash light and` inv further descent enters the dark region 8 and finally lands his aeroplane on the landing-place without his eyes having been blinded by the light.

IVe clalin: v

Means for illuminating and indicatingthe landing path of flyingtields, comprising a plurality of fixed' lights, means to direct light rays upwardly, from the lights, means to direct downwardly inclined light rays on f the landing path, and means to cut oit `ight rays inthe angles between said upwardly directed and `said path directed rays to torni zones ot darkness between such upwardly Y directed and such path directed rays, said lights and said means associated therewith being arranged to cause their'landing path illuxninating'rays' to intercept one another and their upwardly directed rays to be directed from points around the circumference of the Said field, Said means for directing light rays upwardly heilig arranged to cut oit such rays at will, and` means to sun'ul. taneously operate the last-named means of the' plurality of lights. s

, In testimony whereof, we have signed our naines to this speciication.

' `PIETER van BRM van VLOTEN.

EMIL KLEBERT. 

